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From: reply@patientsactionnetwork.com
Subject: Tell Congress to Get Serious and Fix Medicare
Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2006 21:08:11 +0000

Tell Congress to Get Serious and Fix Medicare Click here to send your message to Congress!       Dear Bob, With the parades and services honoring our nation's veterans over, it's time for Congress to return to work. In early May the Senate was unable to stop America's medical liability crisis, failing even to allow a vote. Once again both patients and doctors are left "holding the bag" and open to potential legal abuse. Rest assured that the American Medical Association Patients' Action Network will not rest until we have solved this crisis that so negatively impacts both you and your family. In addition to the continuing battle over medical liability reform, if Congress doesn't act soon Medicare will slash what it pays your doctor by almost 5 percent on Jan. 1, 2007. Over the next 9 years, your doctor could experience cuts totaling up to 37 percent, while her costs may rise as much as 22 percent! What does this mean to you? Results of a recent AMA Member Connect Survey indicate that the Medicare payment cuts will hurt access to health care dramatically: 45 percent of physicians will either stop accepting or decrease the number of new Medicare patients they accept if Medicare payments are cut in 2007 - because they simply can't afford to treat patients any longer. Don't let another day slip by without demanding that Congress fix this problem and protect your family's access to health care. Call them today using the AMA Patients' Acton Network toll-free hotline at 888-434-6200. Urge them to stop these mandated cuts and protect access to health care for you and your family. Or, click here to send an e-mail to your senators and representative. Thank you for your support and continued involvement on these important issues. Every e-mail you send and every phone call you make is meaningful and makes a difference! Your e-mail to Congress Dear : Please protect my family's access to health care by doing all you can to stop dangerous Medicare physician payment cuts. As I'm sure you know, if Congress doesn't act soon, Medicare will cut what it pays our doctors by an incredible 37 percent over the next nine years, including a 5 percent cut next year. And who will feel the impact of these cuts most? Working families! According to a recent American Medical Association survey, the cuts will force many doctors to downsize their practices, making it harder for millions of patients like me to find a good doctor or just get an appointment. In other words, the cuts will create a health care access crisis - just as millions of Baby Boomers begin to retire. We deserve better. I'm counting on you to stop these dangerous Medicare physician payment cuts and protect my family's access to health care. Thank you. Sincerely, Bob Owen 3595 West Lance Road Bloomington, IN 47404 © AMA, Patient's Action Network | All Rights Reserved Click here to unsubscribe.